in amongft them and devoured their flock, we ihould have been
induced to fuppofe that the account they gave of the prefent
finall number of their rein-deer, was intended to convince us of
their poverty, and how unable they were to bear any contribution
that might be demanded. But intelligence of their difafters
in that terrible year had reached as far as Uleâborg ; and it was
even urged by our good friends there as a reafon why we ihould
give up all thoughts of our projected journey. They faid, that as
more than a third of the rein-deer had been deitroyed by the
wolves, it would not be an ealy matter for the Laplanders to fur-
nifh a fufficient number of thefe animals for conveying us on, in
our long and hazardous expedition.
I t is a Angular phenomenon, that the number of wolves in
Lapland has increafed very fenfibly every year iince the commencement
of the laft war in Finland. T h e Laplanders believe
th a t this war chafed away the wolves from Finland, and forced
them to talte refuge in the north ; ju il in the fame manner, perhaps,
as the prefent inhabitants of Finland, in their progrels weft-
ward from Afia, drove the old Fins into the wildernefs, in which
they now fojourn. This reafon, however, feems not fb well founded
as to give any folid iatisfaition. We know from experience
that the wolves are difpofed to follow the courfe of war, and to
feed on the viitims of our broils and contefts, rather than to fhun
and fly away from them. I muft therefore refer the increafe of
wolves in Lapland to fome unknown caufe, which 1 do not pretend
to penetrate.
We
We now prepared for our journey to Kautokieno, under the
confolatory refleition that we ihould henceforth efcape the obfta-
cles and fatigues we had hitherto met with from the adverfe currents
of the rivers. This was the firft time we had feen any river,
whofe waters were in their progrels to lofe themfelves in the im-
menfe extent of the Frozen Ocean. If we had been oppofed by
fuch cataraits as thofe of Muonio, it would, doubtlefs, have been
impoflible for us to have proceeded any farther. But happily the
dangers to be encountered in the cataraits of the river o f Pepojo-
vaivi, were not unpropoftioned to the want of vigour and fkill of
the Laplanders, who were to be our attendants. Thofe feeble,
aukward, and helplefs beings, were embarraffed and at a ftand on
the leaft difficulty; and every flone to them feemed a mountain.
The Rate of their boats was deplorable ; their oars were difpro-
portioned to one another, and without any regular form. They
were no other than flicks of wood cut and hacked into fomething
like an oar, in the mod negligent manner, Lazinefs and ftupi-
dity were prominent in all the Laplanders did, in all that appertained
to them. The only things that they were able actively to
perform, were to keep up an everlafting chatter, to fmoke their
pipes, to chew tobacco, and to drink brandy.
CHAPTER